neuroblades
Regular Member
imported post
I went into my local Wal Martabout 3:15pm today. I had to stop in to make a "pitstop" and to pick up a few things before heading out. I entered the store without any problems or issues and headed for the restroom. Upon leaving the restroom and heading into the store proper I noticed the door greeter eyeing me, this is something that I've come to expect from people who aren't seemingly familiar with the right to OC. I don't take it as a bad thing but a chance to help educate another Kentuckian about their 2nd Amendment right. As I got closer to him, I could tell that he wanted to talk to me when he montionedme over.
As I approached him, he asked, "Are you a policeman or with the sheriff's office"? I told him I wasn't and asked why. He then asked, "Do you have a license to carry that"? Politely but authoritively, I explained to him that under Ky. law, a license is NOT required to openly carry a sidearm, a license is ONLY required when carrying a sidearm concealed. He was very polite and asked if I would wait there while he verified this with his superior.
Being that any chance to convey a positive public POV on open carry, is a chance not wasted, I told him it was fine and that he was just acting accordingly being that he had no idea and was honest about it with me.
After radioing for a manager, it took about 4 minutes for one to get to the front door, where we were. While waiting, I overheard their radio chatter about "a man with a holstered gun on a belt", the chatter was semi-frantic but not in the sense of a frightened tone. Mostof the radios that this Wal-Mart employs are equipped with an earpiece so I'm figuring that most of the customers were not aware of this unneeded excitment. The responding manager was a CSM and she was quite jovial and pleasant. I explained the situation to her so as to speed up this process as the door greeter was slightly hard of hearing. She informed me that "Wal Mart really didn't like for anyone but police and law enforcement to be in the store carrying a gun". I then, politely and authoritively, explained that while I respected that POV, that Ky. state law granted the freedom to openly carry legally WITHOUT need for a license. Additionally I informed her in a polite tone that Wal Mart's corporate office had even said that they followed the laws of the states in which they operated, meaning that they allowed OC in their stores where it was legal to OC. After this, she told me, "Oh yes sir, I know, we can't tell you that you can't come in. It's just that it might upset customers". At this point the exchange had reached a close and I thanked the door greeter and the responding CSM for being very professional and polite about the whole issue. They smiled, I smiled, and I continued on in.
OK, now as they say, hear's the rest of the story! *LOL* I have some friends that work in this particular Wal-Mart, I will not mention any names due to their positions. I was informed by one of them that mine was NOT The ONLY "gun" call across their radios that day. Apparently there was another individual in the store today that was open carrying as well. I have no idea what the outcome of that encounter was though.
So, the moral of this story? Being polite, knowledgeable, & direct can not only resolve misunderstandings but can aid in educating others to their rights as well as yours. This statement comes from the fact that as I was leaving Wal Mart, I happened to see the same door greeter and I stopped and thanked him for being polite and curious about the issue. He thanked me as well for being understanding and patient with them and then he told me that he had never known that a person could legally open carry a sidearm till that day. We shook hands and away I went.
I went into my local Wal Martabout 3:15pm today. I had to stop in to make a "pitstop" and to pick up a few things before heading out. I entered the store without any problems or issues and headed for the restroom. Upon leaving the restroom and heading into the store proper I noticed the door greeter eyeing me, this is something that I've come to expect from people who aren't seemingly familiar with the right to OC. I don't take it as a bad thing but a chance to help educate another Kentuckian about their 2nd Amendment right. As I got closer to him, I could tell that he wanted to talk to me when he montionedme over.
As I approached him, he asked, "Are you a policeman or with the sheriff's office"? I told him I wasn't and asked why. He then asked, "Do you have a license to carry that"? Politely but authoritively, I explained to him that under Ky. law, a license is NOT required to openly carry a sidearm, a license is ONLY required when carrying a sidearm concealed. He was very polite and asked if I would wait there while he verified this with his superior.
Being that any chance to convey a positive public POV on open carry, is a chance not wasted, I told him it was fine and that he was just acting accordingly being that he had no idea and was honest about it with me.
After radioing for a manager, it took about 4 minutes for one to get to the front door, where we were. While waiting, I overheard their radio chatter about "a man with a holstered gun on a belt", the chatter was semi-frantic but not in the sense of a frightened tone. Mostof the radios that this Wal-Mart employs are equipped with an earpiece so I'm figuring that most of the customers were not aware of this unneeded excitment. The responding manager was a CSM and she was quite jovial and pleasant. I explained the situation to her so as to speed up this process as the door greeter was slightly hard of hearing. She informed me that "Wal Mart really didn't like for anyone but police and law enforcement to be in the store carrying a gun". I then, politely and authoritively, explained that while I respected that POV, that Ky. state law granted the freedom to openly carry legally WITHOUT need for a license. Additionally I informed her in a polite tone that Wal Mart's corporate office had even said that they followed the laws of the states in which they operated, meaning that they allowed OC in their stores where it was legal to OC. After this, she told me, "Oh yes sir, I know, we can't tell you that you can't come in. It's just that it might upset customers". At this point the exchange had reached a close and I thanked the door greeter and the responding CSM for being very professional and polite about the whole issue. They smiled, I smiled, and I continued on in.
OK, now as they say, hear's the rest of the story! *LOL* I have some friends that work in this particular Wal-Mart, I will not mention any names due to their positions. I was informed by one of them that mine was NOT The ONLY "gun" call across their radios that day. Apparently there was another individual in the store today that was open carrying as well. I have no idea what the outcome of that encounter was though.
So, the moral of this story? Being polite, knowledgeable, & direct can not only resolve misunderstandings but can aid in educating others to their rights as well as yours. This statement comes from the fact that as I was leaving Wal Mart, I happened to see the same door greeter and I stopped and thanked him for being polite and curious about the issue. He thanked me as well for being understanding and patient with them and then he told me that he had never known that a person could legally open carry a sidearm till that day. We shook hands and away I went.